§6803-C. Cobscook Bay Rockweed Management Area

1.Definitions.
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms
have the following meanings.

A. "Cobscook Bay Rockweed Management Area" means the area of Cobscook Bay westward and
within a line between the southernmost tip of Estes Head due east to the Canadian
border and south along the border to the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Memorial
Bridge. [2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW).]

B. "Rockweed" means Ascophyllum nodosum. [2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW).]

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

2.Designation of areas closed to harvesting.
The commissioner shall identify areas within the Cobscook Bay Rockweed Management
Area that are closed to the commercial harvest of rockweed, including, but not limited
to, areas around public and private conservation areas, state parks and federally
owned lands and lobster nursery areas. The commissioner shall identify and close to
the commercial harvest of rockweed up to 30 acres within Cobscook Bay for the purpose
of research.

5.Eligibility for harvest plan.
To be eligible to submit an annual harvest plan to harvest rockweed within the Cobscook
Bay Rockweed Management Area, a harvester or that harvester's representative must
notify the commissioner of that person's intent to harvest within the area before
January 1st of the proposed year of harvest.

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

6.Allocation of sectors.
Prior to submitting an annual harvest plan, eligible harvesters or their representatives
must meet as needed to allocate harvest management sectors.

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

7.Annual harvest plan.
An annual harvest plan must include, but is not limited to, the following:

A. The name and telephone number of the person or entity responsible for the harvest
management sector; [2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW).]

F. A description of how marine organisms harvested with the rockweed will be managed;
and [2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW).]

G. A description of harvester training. [2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW).]

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

8.Annual harvest plans.
Eligible harvesters or their representatives shall submit their annual harvest plans
to the commissioner no later than March 1st. The annual harvest plans must be made
available to the public on that date.

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

9.Biomass harvest limit.
The total biomass removed in a harvest management sector may not exceed 17% of the
harvestable biomass that is eligible to be harvested annually. A harvester must report
to the commissioner the total biomass removed by that harvester within a sector annually.
Beginning January 1, 2010, the harvest report must be verified by an independent 3rd
party.

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

10.Bycatch.
A person harvesting rockweed must make a reasonable effort to remove marine organisms
harvested with the rockweed from the harvested rockweed and return those marine organisms
alive back into Cobscook Bay as soon as practicable.

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

11.Penalties.
A person that violates this section commits a Class E crime for which a fine of not
less than $1,000 must be adjudged. Each day a person violates this section constitutes
a separate violation.

[
2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW)
.]

SECTION HISTORY

2009, c. 283, §3 (NEW).

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